Related

North Shore children are at an increased risk of struggling at school because of a lack of opportunities to play, increased use of technology, and parents who are too involved in their activities, according to a report released Wednesday.

The report, Increasing Vulnerability in the Early Years: A Closer Look at Five North Shore Neighbourhoods, was funded by the United Way and written by Dr. Denise Buote for the North Shore Community Resources Society.

“We’re starting to see a trend in North Shore neighbourhoods, and in some ways across the province, in certain areas … that is concerning,” said Buote in an interview.

“The big concerns are things like increased and sedentary activities like screen time, which is taking away from physical play that we know is important for children’s development. We’re seeing increased overscheduling of children in terms of structured activities, so they’re losing out on those unstructured times when natural learning occurs with other peers. We’re seeing busy households where both parents are working and so there is more stress on parents in terms of feeling rushed to do their job, but also to take care of children.”

The report concluded the neighbourhoods — Bowen Island, the British Properties, Deep Cove-Dollarton, Grand Boulevard-Moodyville and Upper Capilano-Edgemont — have child vulnerability rates of 30 per cent or higher, meaning that three out of 10 kids are starting kindergarten not meeting all developmental benchmarks and therefore not fully ready to learn.

“Lack of school readiness puts a child at greater risk of struggling in the classroom and later in life,” the report concluded.

The report listed several contributing factors, including increased technology use and its potential impact on the developing brain, caregivers doing things for children that interfere with a child’s ability to become physically independent, a lack of opportunities for appropriate risk-taking that helps children develop confidence, increased pressure from parents to ensure children do well in their academic and extracurricular activities, and limited opportunities for kids to interact with other young kids through free play.

“Unstructured play is this natural opportunity for children to engage with others and have opportunities around social skills and exploration and develop curiosity and all those good things that really help children learn and grow,” Buote said. “Play is a big concern and there’s not enough of it going on.”

The report had several recommendations, including increasing the number of programs for parents and young children offered in the evenings and on weekends; increasing opportunities for families to engage in indoor and outdoor physical free play, developing a coordinated public awareness campaign about the effect of technology use in the early years; and increasing support for fathers raising children and grandparents co-raising children.

The report cited several areas of concern for each neighbourhood. For example, Bowen Island was cited limited outdoor play spaces and recreational programs for young children, British Properties has limited neighbourhood resources to support young children and families, Upper Capilano/Edgemont has a geographical location that makes it challenging to access resources, Grand Boulevard/Moodyville has limited availability of outdoor and indoor play spaces, and in Deep Cove/Dollarton, poverty is an issue for some families with young children.

Is there more to this story? We'd like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. CLICK HERE or go to vancouversun.com/moretothestory

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Share

North Shore children at risk from too little play, too much screen time, report says

Video

Today's Headline Videos

Best of Postmedia

To steel himself for the year-long journey that began Wednesday, Jonathan Pitre has been going over the hard calculus that underpins his decision to pursue a high-risk, high-reward treatment in Minnesota

When he woke up in tears the morning after he had cried himself to sleep, Rohit Saxena knew what he had to do. Leaving his wife, Lesley, asleep in bed, Rohit went downstairs, opened his laptop and began to write. “They say your kids are your hearts outside your body,” he wrote. “I’ll always be […]

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.